


Then There Were Three

by Lopithecus



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: (probably), Alpha Aaron, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, But first we have to get through all the previous shit that happened prior, Canon compliant (just with a baby added to the mix), Canon-Typical Violence, I know that contradicts the previous tag), M/M, Mpreg, Not exactly your traditional omegaverse (I make up my own rules because I'm picky with these things), Omega Robert, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow-ish burn (only because it follows canon quite closely), Somewhat canon divergent (yes, The abuse era will make an appearance later on, there aren't enough of these in this fandom, with that being said
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 19:20:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21903772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lopithecus/pseuds/Lopithecus
Summary: "He pulls out the birth control pills. “These are birth control pills. I haven’t taken one yet so you need to make sure I do. I’ll need to take one every day I’m in heat. I’ll be too out of it to remember myself. This is very important, Aaron.” Aaron nods and reaches for them, taking the packet from Robert’s hands and inspecting it."One fateful heat at the lodge changes everything for Robert and everyone around him.
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden
Comments: 62
Kudos: 138





	1. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t tell my other wip fics about this one. I just… couldn’t get it out of my head.
> 
> It’s been a long time since I’ve written smut so, please be gentle with me. Also, I obviously had to change how the lodge scene went for this work. ;)
> 
> At the beginning of this, Aaron has yet to be told by Paddy what Robert tried to do to him.
> 
> This is going to follow pretty closely to canon but obviously some things have to change as well. Please heed the tags.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

“It’s only for a few days,” Robert tells Chrissie as he packs up a duffel bag full of clothes. He had made arrangements earlier with Aaron to meet up at the cabin in the disguise of Robert going to a machinery convention. It was going to be a special opportunity for the two of them, Robert having asked Aaron if he would like to spend Robert’s heat together. That’s what Chrissie is mostly worried about now.

“What about your heat?” she asks him as she follows him around. “You’re supposed to start soon.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already taken a suppressant,” he lies.

Chrissie pulls him into her embrace, holding him there, and asserting herself as the alpha who is in charge. “I could always go with you, make sure you’re okay. Suppressants fail sometimes, Robert.” Robert knows she’s trying to come off as seductive but it fails completely. He’s too excited about seeing Aaron.

He wriggles out of her grasp. He’s never actually liked how traditional Chrissie can get with the alpha and omega roles. He isn’t sure if he’ll ever get comfortable with it. “It’s unlikely.” Robert resists the urge to sigh himself when he hears Chrissie do one. “Look, when I get back, we can book a weekend retreat. Make it up for missing my heat.”

“Hmm,” she pulls him in again. “It won’t be as fun as sharing a heat with you but Paris or Barcelona sounds fun.”

Robert plasters on his best, charming smile and kisses her. “If that’s what you want.” He kisses her one last time and that seems to satisfy her. Chrissie leaves him alone after that, allowing him to pack in peace. He smiles when he receives a text from Aaron a few minutes later, stating that he’ll see him there. Double checking that he has the birth control pills snugly in his pocket, Robert drives off, feeling almost giddy about meeting the other alpha.

When he gets to the lodge, Aaron is waiting for him outside, drinking a beer. They banter a little about Robert being late but soon enter the building, Robert looking around. It’s small and not something he would normally choose to spend a heat in but it’s cozy and will have to do. “You know what? I like it,” he comments, heading straight to the bedroom. He presses down on the mattress, already feeling the instinctual need to nest. “Not bad, this.”

Aaron shrugs, beer still in hand. “Yeah, it’ll do,” he says, as if reading Robert’s mind. When Robert looks at him, the alpha squirms, switching his weight from one foot to the other.

Robert chuckles, watching Aaron. “Have you ever shared a heat before?” Aaron purses his lips, pretends to think, and then shakes his head. Robert furrows his brows in confusion. “Never? Not with… Jackson or, what was his name, Ed?”

Aaron shrugs again. “Jackson was an alpha and Ed was a beta.”

Robert nods. “I’ve never been with another omega before,” he says, trying a round-a-bout way of commenting on the fact that Aaron was with someone of the same caste without insulting the alpha. It’s a rarity, for caste members to hook up with each other.

“Wasn’t bad,” Aaron goes on to say. “Besides, after the accident…” he trails off and Robert doesn’t push.

With a deep breath, Robert moves on, facing Aaron and stepping up to him. He pulls out the birth control pills. “These are birth control pills. I haven’t taken one yet so you need to make sure I do. I’ll need to take one every day I’m in heat. I’ll be too out of it to remember myself. This is very important, Aaron.” Aaron nods and reaches for them, taking the packet from Robert’s hands and inspecting it. “Since you’re new to this, I’m going to explain a little bit of what’s going to happen. When omegas are about to go into heat, they start nesting.”

“Nesting?”

Robert nods and walks away, looking the room over. He doesn’t have much time before he starts his heat, so he’s going to have to multitask. “Nesting is when an omega gathers things around them that make them feel safe. Usually it involves things that have their alpha’s scent but if you don’t have an alpha, then it can be anything really.”

“Did you bring something of Chrissie’s then?” Aaron asks, taking a step closer.

Robert tsks, straightening from where he was bent over and smoothing out the duvet. “No.” Robert stares at him, waiting for things to click but when they don’t, he smirks in amusement. “You are completely clueless when it comes to these things.” He laughs and ignores Aaron’s annoyed face. “Since I’m sharing my heat with you, it would be dangerous to bring something with Chrissie’s scent. It could go one of two ways: you destroy whatever it was or you hunt her down and kill her.” He sees Aaron gulp. “Omegas aren’t the only ones who get a little out of it when it comes to a heat.”

Aaron squirms again. He’s clutching onto the little packet of birth control pills as if his life depends on it. “Is that why you don’t smell like her right now?”

He nods. “I made sure to spray myself with a scent dampener. I don’t need you to go off all crazy.” He picks up a lamp off the nightstand. “Now I won’t be able to properly nest but I’ll make do. This is the ugliest lamp I have ever seen. Here,” he holds it out to Aaron. “Get rid of it, would you?”

Aaron takes the lamp and leaves the room. He doesn’t return for a while and Robert starts to wonder what is taking so long. Maybe Aaron is having a little mini freak out. Robert decides to leave him to it. He’s got more important things to worry about. After he digs through the closet and takes out every single sheet and pillow that is there, dumping the contents onto the bed, he looks around the room. Something seems missing. “Aaron!” he calls. It doesn’t take Aaron long to reenter the room. “Where’s that lamp?”

Aaron gestures with his head. “It’s in the other room.”

“What’s it doing out there?” Robert asks, incredulous. He can already feel his body heat rising and slick is starting to form between his legs. “Bring it back.”

“But you-”

“Just bring it back,” Robert snaps and Aaron does as he’s told. When he returns, Robert grabs the lamp and sets it down on the bureau. He studies it for a while before deciding it’s fine there and moves on. He finds some more pillows in the bottom drawer of the bureau. He wonders if the people who rent this lodge out prepare the room for secret  rendezvous heats. When he’s done throwing those onto the bed — he’s got quite the pile — he looks around the room one last time. Eyes landing on the lamp, he grimaces and picks it up. “God, get this ugly thing out of here.” He holds it out to Aaron who looks at him in bewilderment.

“Is this how all omegas act during heat?” Aaron asks, voice laced with amusement as he grabs the lamp and leaves the room once more.

Robert smiles after him before looking around the room one last time. He can feel himself being pulled into the haze of heat, his underwear being completely soaked through now. The nest will have to do with how he’s got it. Robert doesn’t have any more time to tweak it. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Robert waits until Aaron comes back, rocking his hips back and forth to try and relieve some of the pressure.

It doesn’t take Aaron long to return and Robert watches as the alpha stops to sniff the air. Robert reaches out for Aaron, not being able to hold back any longer. “God, Robert, you smell good,” Aaron says as he approaches.

Robert grabs a hold of Aaron’s waist and buries his nose in Aaron’s stomach. He groans, taking a deep breath in, enjoying the smell of Aaron. He can tell the alpha is already hard, a reaction to Robert’s own arousal. “Need you,” he mumbles against Aaron’s belly, eyes closed and breathing deeply.

Aaron runs a hand through Robert’s hair and down to his chin, pushing him away slightly. Robert whines with the loss. “Okay, hang on,” Aaron says gently, fishing something out of his jean’s pocket. It’s the little packet of birth control. Robert watches as Aaron pops one out and then reaches for a mug of water that he must have placed there sometime earlier. “Take this.”

Robert does as he’s told, swallowing the little pill down with ease. “Now?” he asks, looking up at Aaron through his eyelashes. Aaron’s hand is still on his face, thumb stroking his cheek. With a quick, curt nod from Aaron, Robert quickly unzips Aaron’s trousers and pulls out his cock from his boxers. He wraps his mouth around the head, sucking as he swallows him down.

Aaron groans in pleasure and twists his fingers in Robert’s hair, holding him there as he rocks his hips back and forth. Robert lets Aaron use his mouth as he reaches behind himself, shoving his hands down the back of his own trousers in order to try and get a couple fingers in him, not being able to take the pressure anymore. Aaron notices and pulls out of Robert’s mouth, batting Robert’s hand away from its destination. “Stop,” Aaron mumbles, leaning down. “Let me…” He unbuttons the first few buttons of Robert’s shirt before giving up and just pulling the whole thing off over his head. He then moves onto Robert’s trousers.

“I’ve heard omegas can easily overheat during their heat if they’re not careful,” Aaron casually mentions as he unbuttons and unzips Robert’s jeans. “Is that true?” Robert hears the question, almost even wants to answer him, but all he can think about is getting Aaron’s cock in him. So, when Aaron stops for a second to ask, “Robert?” Robert pushes forward and kisses him on the lips with all he’s got. Aaron gently pushes him back and away, continuing his mission of removing all of Robert’s clothes. When he gets to Robert’s boxers, he moans. “Jesus, Robert, you’re soaking wet already.”

Robert buries his face in Aaron’s neck. “Need you so bad.” He whines, licking a stripe up to his ear. “Please, Aaron.”

“I know. Just give me a sec.” Aaron throws the boxers off to the side and slides out of his own clothes. Robert watches in awe. Aaron really is beautiful. Robert doesn’t know how Aaron isn’t tied down yet with another omega.

Robert whines again, the ache of not being filled starting to act up. He always hated this part of a heat; the cramping that would coincide it if you didn’t have a cock or a dildo to shove up yourself. It makes omegas too dependent on others and as someone who hates to conform to the norm of the castes — yes, Robert does realize the irony in that, considering how many times he’s claimed to be straight and hides the fact that he’s into men as well — he dislikes that his heats make him act like a needy omega who needs a nice strong alpha’s cock up his arse. 

He even hated it with Chrissie even though Chrissie likes being a traditional alpha in the relationship. But with Aaron, Robert doesn’t seem to mind it as much. He doesn’t mind giving up a bit of control and just  _ wanting _ Aaron with all his being. Because with Aaron, it makes Robert want to be free, to be himself.

Robert buries his nose in the hair found on Aaron’s stomach, breathing him in once more. “Hurts.”

Aaron runs a hand through Robert’s hair once again. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” He pushes Roebert back and encourages Robert to slide back on the bed. “Get on your hands and knees.” Robert does, presenting his arse to Aaron who joins behind him. Two of Aaron’s fingers enter him with ease and Robert can’t hold back the moan. Aaron doesn’t take much time in preparing him. Robert doesn’t need it. Instead, Aaron gathers some of the slick that has run down Robert’s thighs and coats his cock in it before finally pushing inside Robert slowly.

Robert keens, he can’t help it. It feels so good, amazing, and he wants,  _ needs _ , more. Aaron wastes no time at all before he’s pulling back out and sliding back in, the lude wet sound at the movement only turning Robert on even more. He’s not going to last long, never does during the first round when he’s in heat. There’s just too much pent up arousal to make it last.

Aaron, as if thinking the same, quickens his pace, the slick that Robert’s body naturally produces making each thrust easier and easier. They are both panting loudly, Robert’s arms shaking, and Aaron’s grip on his hips bruising. Robert hopes he won’t have visible marks there but at the moment he really can’t bring himself to care. The haze of heat is too much to think clearly. All he wants is more, more, more.

“Robert,” Aaron gasps. They both are sweating profusely, the exertion of the act taking its toll. “Robert, should I-” Aaron swallows, loud and quick. “Should I knot you?”

“God, yes,” Robert groans because that’s all he wants right now. “Please, Aaron.”

Aaron does, his knot slipping in easily, tying them together. Robert comes then, Aaron’s knot pressing down on his prostate hard. Slick gushes out of him, cock spurting cum onto the mattress. He moans loudly, body shaking with pleasure. He doesn’t even notice when Aaron reaches his own climax, cumming inside Robert. What Robert doesn’t miss is how Aaron’s forehead presses painfully into the back of his neck, most likely to stop himself from biting Robert, marking him as his.

They collapse onto the mattress and Aaron rearranges them so they both are on their side instead of Aaron suffocating Robert. They’ll have to stay like this for a while, at least until Aaron is done and his knot goes down. Robert doesn’t mind much, the haze starting to fade but exhaustion taking over. He succumbs to it, allowing himself to fall asleep in Aaron’s arms.

*~~~*

They fall into a pattern for the next two days. Aaron will fuck him, knot him, then they’ll sleep for about an hour before Aaron gets up and grabs them something to eat. In between the haze, Robert had to make sure to tell Aaron that it was the alpha’s job to make sure the omega was staying hydrated and fed. Aaron seemed to be a little put out by this but once Robert explained that the reasoning is that omegas won’t think about it most times themselves, Aaron seemed fine with it.

It’s the beginning of the fourth day and Robert had woken Aaron up with a blow job that quickly escalated to Aaron knotting Robert nicely. At the moment, Robert has his face buried in Aaron’s neck, scenting him. Aaron nips at his ear. “This wasn’t the greatest position to get tied together in.”

Robert hums in agreement but he doesn’t mind it too much. They are facing each other which means Aaron has no choice but to hold him close, Robert’s legs wrapped snugly around Aaron’s waist. They both are sticky with sweat and cum, neither of them having taken a shower yet. They probably should but Robert has a hard enough time letting Aaron go to get food, let alone to go take a shower. Maybe he should suggest taking a shower together but it wouldn’t be a good idea to fuck in there and get tied together. Aaron might be strong but he’s not strong enough to carry Robert back to the bed.

There’s a knock on the door, something neither of them are expecting, so it makes the two jump. “Who could that be?” Aaron asks, trying to sit up. His knot is already going down, lasting a shorter amount of time the longer they get into Robert’s heat.

Robert pulls him back down, sucks a spot on his neck. It’s okay if Robert marks him. “Leave it.”

The knock comes again, this time with a familiar voice following it. “Aaron?”

“Paddy?” Aaron shrugs Robert’s hold off and pulls out of him. Robert falls back onto the bed with a heavy sigh.

“What is he doing here?” he asks, throwing an arm behind his head. He’s suddenly feeling very territorial.

“I don’t know. I didn’t even tell him where I was going.” Aaron gets up off the bed, pulling a pair of joggers on. “I’ll get rid of him.”

Robert pulls Aaron down and kisses him messily, tongue shoving into Aaron’s mouth. “Make it quick.”

Aaron smirks at him as he pulls on a jumper and then leaves the room. Robert lies there and listens, the two out in the living room talking with hushed voices. Curious, Robert gets up off the bed and approaches the door that Aaron left a jar, eavesdropping. 

“Aaron you have to listen to me,” Paddy pleads. “You have no idea how hard it was to figure out where you were.”

“I don’t even know why you felt the need to find me in the first place, Paddy.” Aaron sounds agitated. Paddy is a beta so it wouldn’t be the fact that another alpha was threatening his time with his omega. No, it would have be purley emotion based, Aaron not wanting to be interrupted with his time with Robert. Somehow, this makes Robert’s pride increase.

“That’s just it, Aaron. I have something important to tell you, about Robert.”

It’s not until Robert hears the end of footsteps that he realizes Aaron was pacing. “What about Robert?”

“Is he here?”

A pause, almost like a hesitation. “Yeah. He’s in the bedroom. In heat.”

“Heat?” Paddy sounds incredulous. “Please tell me you aren’t spending his heat with him.”

“So what if I am?”

“Aaron!” Paddy remarks. “I can’t believe this.”

“What did you need to tell me?” Robert can hear Aaron’s eye roll in his voice.

Paddy’s voice drops into a whisper. “He’s dangerous, Aaron.”

“What do you mean?” Aaron still sounds irritated, as if he has zero patience for any of this right now. Robert doesn’t blame him. Both their bodies are pumped full of hormones at the moment. It’s all Robert can do to not go out there, growl at Paddy to go away, and drag Aaron back to bed.

“He tried to kill me.” Robert’s hackles immediately rise. “If Robert had his way, I would have suffocated in that grain pit. It happened after I tried to warn Chrissie about Robert cheating.” Robert swallows, feeling his heart rate speed up in his chest. “Aaron, he admitted to it and then threatened Leo and Rhona if I didn’t back off.”

“You’re lying. He wouldn’t do that.”

“He wouldn’t do it?” Paddy practically yells but quickly recovers, going back into a whisper. “Aaron, of course, he’d do it. He’s a psychopath.” Robert bites his bottom lip to stop himself from growling out loud. “What kind of person threatens a kid?”

He can hear Aaron walking again. “He’s been lying to me this whole time.” It sounds like Aaron is crying and Robert has heard enough.

He barges through the door, not caring that he has no clothes on. “No, that is not true!”

“Isn’t it?” Aaron asks, spinning to face him. There are definite tears in his eyes and Robert has to resist the urge to go up to him and wipe them away. “How could you?” He pushes past Robert, bumping into his shoulder on his way, and goes back into the bedroom.

Robert follows him, feeling the panic start to settle in his chest. “What are you doing?” he asks as he watches Aaron packing his clothes into the duffle bag he brought.

“There is no way I am going to spend the rest of your heat with you,” Aaron says, venom lacing his words. “Not after what you did to Paddy!”

“No.”

“And threatening Rhona? Leo?” Aaron growls as he finishes packing, eyes narrowed in deadly anger. “What? Katie wasn’t enough for you?”

“Don’t you dare bring that up,” Robert warns. He can already feel the next wave of heat coming to the surface. He internally begs for it to wait, to hold off just a little longer.

“Did you purposely kill her too?”

“Don’t.”

“Did you smash her brains in and then made it look like an accident?” Aaron gets right in his face. “What did you do, Robert?”

“I only pushed her!” Aaron takes a step back, rubbing a hand down his face. “It was still an accident, Aaron.”

“No,” Aaron looks at him, eyes full of tears and regret and hatred. “No, that’s murder.”

Robert shakes his head. “D-don’t call it that.”

“It’s what it is and you let me live with that guilt.” He pokes a finger into Robert’s chest. “It nearly destroyed me and all along it was your fault?” Aaron grimaces and shakes his head, a look of pain crossing his face. “You can’t take being gay, so you kill people.”

“No, Aaron, no.”

Aaron shoves past him again and Robert follows. Paddy is still standing there, waiting and watching. “Get away from me, Robert.”

“Where are you going?”

“Away from you.”

“No, Aaron, you can’t.” Robert begs, the panic and fear constricting his chest.

“Watch me.” Robert jogs past Aaron and blocks his way out. “Move.”

Robert shakes his head. “Don’t you get it? I’m in heat, Aaron.”

“And I’m supposed to still care?” Aaron tsks and tries to get past Robert but Robert stands strong.

“Without you here, I could wander off,” Robert explains desperately. “If I pass any alphas that are out there… they won’t be able to stop themselves, Aaron.”

Something in Aaron’s eyes spark and Robert watches as the alpha bites his bottom lip before shoving his duffle bag towards Paddy. He then walks out of the room and returns with something bunched up in his hand. “Come with me.”

Robert, confused, follows him. They stop in front of a radiator and Aaron grabs one of his wrists. “What are you doing?” Aaron ties a piece of fabric around his wrist and then loops it around the radiator, tying the other end around his other wrist. “You’re tying me up?” Aaron says nothing and walks away, leaving Robert to pull at them. “You can’t leave me like this, Aaron!” Aaron doesn’t return. “Aaron, please!” He flinches when he hears the front door slam shut.

“Aaron!” Robert’s breathing is coming in ragged gulps. Aaron doesn’t understand the impact, the panic, that an alpha leaving an omega in heat can cause. “Aaron!” He pulls at his bindings again. He frantically pulls and pulls and pulls until he knows there is going to be bruising. “Aaron!” Robert notes how scared his own voice sounds, how shaky it is, but ignores the fact for the sake of trying to escape. He doesn’t know how, but eventually the knot on one of his wrists loosens and with one last tug, he breaks free from the binding, falling onto his arse.

By now, he’s already in the haze of a panicked heat, not being able to see straight at all. He groans in pain as a particularly painful cramp squeezes at his insides and he struggles to stand. Stumbling, he makes his way to the front door and leaves the lodge, futilely looking for Aaron. He’s panting and sweating heavily, slick running down the inside of his thighs mixed with Aaron’s cum. He needs someone, anyone, to help him and when he trips, falling to the ground, he rolls over onto his side and groans, clutching onto his painful stomach.

The haze overtakes him, blurring whatever comes next, and when it dissipates, he’s lying on the ground still, sweaty and cold. Robert sits up, glad to see he didn’t wander too far from the lodge and he can only smell Aaron on himself, which means he didn’t encounter any other alphas. He carefully gets up off the ground, brushing off the dead leaves from his body and makes his way back to the lodge.

It’s not until he’s back in the building that the panic settles in his gut again. Knowing he has to get home as soon as possible to try and make everything right, Robert quickly takes a shower and then starts packing everything up. Once everything is away in his duffel, he grabs the little packet of birth control off the nightstand where Aaron left it and shoves it into his jean’s pocket, not paying attention to the fact that only one of the pills is missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any of you who don’t know, I am American. I do my best to use UK terms vs US terms but I still might not realize something is called differently here than over there. With that being said, I know terms are probably regional just like here in the US so everything might not be completely accurate. Also, spelling differences are just impossible for me to know all of them, so I’m going to stick with US spelling for consistency. Sorry. :/
> 
> Enjoy!

The drive home is unpleasant. Robert isn’t completely done with his heat — he probably shouldn’t be driving at all — and so on his way back, he has no choice but to sit in wet underwear and blast the A/C. It’s probably a miracle he even makes it back home at all.

Parking the car in the drive, he reaches over to the glove box and pulls out the scent dampener he had used earlier. He’s sweating profusely, panting hard, and smells of heat and arousal. When he looks at himself in the rear-view mirror, he notices he’s flushed red and his hair is a mess. Robert runs his hand through his hair and sprays the scent dampener over himself generously, hoping Chrissie won’t be able to smell the fact that he is still in heat.

His heat should be over soon and he could sit in the car and wait it out, but he’s anxious to get back inside and mend any damage that has been done. Better yet, get inside before Aaron has the opportunity to blow everything up in his life. Robert doesn’t see Aaron’s vehicle anywhere, so maybe he made it before Aaron could make any rash decisions.

Getting out of the car after wiping the sweat from his face, he makes his way inside Home Farm. He finds Chrissie sitting in the kitchen, reading a magazine. It looks as if she had just finished eating and at the sight of the empty plate, Robert’s stomach growls in hunger. He hasn’t eaten anything in hours and a heat takes up a lot of energy and calories.

Chrissie hears him enter the kitchen and when she spots him, her face lights up. The guilt that hits Robert is unexpected. “I wasn’t expecting you back ‘till later.” Robert smiles at her and approaches, praying she won’t be able to tell about his heat. He wraps his arms around her shoulders and kisses the top of her head. “How was the convention?”

“I just couldn’t get my head into it,” he mumbles, the lie coming out of his mouth easily. She smells good, like a true alpha, and Robert resists the urge to groan as he feels a small amount of slick run down his leg.

“Are you hungry?” Chrissie asks as if she can tell what he was thinking earlier.

He lies again as he answers. He needs to leave and take a shower, take care of himself until his heat finally subsides. “No, I’m fine.”

She pats his arm and stands. “Don’t be silly. There are leftovers that you can have.” She dishes out a plate for him as she drones on and on about Lawrence and Bernice. Robert doesn’t hear a word of it.

He’s too busy thinking about Aaron and what the alpha might do now. Robert stands quickly, his stomach flipping with nerves and nausea. “I’m going to take a shower,” he tells his wife and doesn’t bother waiting for a response.

Robert goes to the upstairs bathroom, shutting and locking the door. He peels off his clothes hurriedly, welcoming the cool air against his heated body. He feels like he’s on fire as he reaches over and turns the shower on cold. When he finally takes off his boxers, he grimaces at how it sticks to his arse with how much slick is on it. He’s going to have to wash his clothes himself lest Chrissie finds out he has been in heat. That is just a disaster waiting to happen.

Stepping into the shower, he moans at the feeling of the cool water hitting his back. He must have been starting to overheat, like Aaron had inquired about earlier. It would explain why he is feeling too hot and sticky. Robert lets the water run over his entire body, enjoying the way it feels. It’s cooling him down, making him feel a little better.

Until a cramp has him doubling over, slick dripping out of him, and a pain filled moan escaping his lips. Robert reaches behind himself and slowly enters two fingers into his hole. It’s easy and soon he has three fingers up his arse, pumping in time with his breathing. He thinks about Aaron and his cock, wishing it were him that was doing this to him. When he reaches orgasm, it’s the most unsatisfied he has ever felt in a very long time.

Robert spends another ten minutes in the shower, finally feeling as if he has reached the end of his heat. At least the mind numbing, sex craved part of it. He quickly cleans himself up and then dries off using a towel, scrubbing his hair to get as much moister out as possible. After throwing his dirty clothes into the laundry basket, he goes to his and Chrissie’s room to get dressed. He pulls on a blue button up and a pair of jeans. Once done with that, he makes his way back downstairs, feeling calmer now that some time has passed and he’s done with his heat.

That is until he enters the kitchen again with Chrissie when she continued to insist he eat something, only to see Aaron standing there with tears running down his cheeks. Robert’s heart jumps to his throat and pounds away, choking him up and making it impossible to talk. He can feel the heavy weight of dread pushing down on his shoulders as Chrissie asks Aaron what he is doing here and asks the other alpha what happened.

When Aaron starts talking, Robert feels his entire world implode. “The affair was true, the one Katie accused him of.”

Robert is shaking. With anger, fear, he doesn’t know but he does know he needs to stop this. “You need to go.”

Aaron completely ignores him, continuing as his tears grow more frequent. “It started before you got married and continued after.” Robert can feel,  _ smell _ , the confusion coming off Chrissie as she listens silently. “You know the best part?” Aaron asks, looking from Robert back to Chrissie. “That it was with  _ me _ .”

Chrissie shakes her head in disbelief, finally talking with a barely audible, “What?”

Robert continues to stare at Aaron. He feels like he’s going to be ill, that his heart is going to jump out of his throat. The feeling of betrayal is heavy in his chest. “He’s lying.”

“Of course he’s lying!” Chrissie insists, her voice shaking. “For God’s sake Aaron!”

Aaron doesn’t take his eyes off Robert and that’s when Robert knows he’s enjoying tearing Robert down bit by bit. Robert swallows around the lump in his throat as Aaron gestures towards him. “He’s the one whose lying. Just look at him.” A smirk forms on Aaron’s face. “I can tell you where we met, when we met.” He tsks. “I can even tell  _ you, _ ” Aaron points at Chrissie, “where you were. Just think about it, Chrissie, think about it. Why would he want to stay here for a week when you lot went to the Coast?”

“Shut up,” Robert tries but it comes out weaker than he intended and it has zero affect on Aaron.

“Because he wanted to be here, with  _ me _ . Didn’t ya?” Robert doesn’t answer him. He’s feeling lightheaded and shaky and panicked. “I spent the full week here, in your bed. The hotel surprise,” again, Aaron looks from Chrissie to Robert and back to Chrissie. “Yeah, I was there too, but then we saw you and Katie and I had to scamper.” Chrissie is shaking her head, tears pooling in her eyes and Robert feels like he can’t breathe. “Why do you think he was late for your wedding, Chrissie?” Robert wants Aaron to stop but in this moment, he has never felt more like a submissive omega among dominant alphas in his life. “Because he was with me!” An angry, twisted smile appears on Aaron’s lips and Robert knows what is coming next. “And the best one yet. This weekend, he asked me to spend his heat with him.” Chrissie’s head snaps in his direction. Robert drops his own in instinctual submission. “And guess what, Chrissie? We did. We spent his heat together and I knotted him over and over again and we  _ both _ enjoyed it.” Aaron looks at him, anger and hurt and cruelness shining from his wet eyes. “You going to deny it or do you want me to carry on?” When Robert doesn’t say anything and instead keeps his head bowed in submission, Aaron huffs and walks away, slamming the door when he leaves.

Chrissie is still looking at him, tears rolling down her cheeks, and Robert can’t bring himself to look at her. He’s angered his alpha and as much as he hates the instinctual need to act accordingly based off of his omega caste, sometimes he can’t fight it either. So he continues to stare at the floor, head down and tilted away from Chrissie, baring his throat. She could rip his jugular out if she wanted to, kill him. Alphas are allowed to if their omega steps out of line so bad that it calls for it. She wouldn’t get in trouble.

Instead she shakes her head and walks away, holding a hand up to him, silently telling him not to follow. He obeys only for a few minutes before he’s jogging after her. “Chrissie, wait! Let me explain.”

He doesn’t really expect it when she shoves him against the wall, one hand on his chest, and baring her teeth. “Get out of my home, Robert,” she spits, growl emanating from deep within her chest. “ _ Now _ .”

Robert hangs his head again and leaves, not knowing what else to do at the moment. If he’s honest with himself, he’s afraid that she actually will kill him. He ends up at Victoria’s and she lets him in after he explains that Chrissie kicked him out. She doesn’t ask questions, warns him not to get on Andy’s nerves, and leaves him to it. When she’s gone, he makes his way over to the sofa where he presumes he’ll be sleeping. Andy is staying in the guest room so there’s really no other place for him.

Lying down on the sofa, he sighs. Everything is a mess and it’s all Aaron’s fault. Why couldn’t he have just kept his stupid gob shut? Now Chrissie knows he’s into men and soon the whole village will know and he can’t… he can’t deal with that. It’ll destroy him if they know, especially Diane and Victoria. What would they think of him?

Robert wipes the wetness from his eyes away. He’ll be humiliated. Probably lose both Diane and Victoria. They’ll disapprove, just like his dad did. They’ll be disgusted, think something is wrong with him. They wouldn’t be wrong either.

Sniffling, he reaches into his pocket and takes out the small packet of birth control pills. Why did he even come up with that stupid plan to spend his heat with Aaron? Why couldn’t he have just spent it with Chrissie like always? He’s such an idiot.

Robert scrutinizes the packet before putting it back into his pocket, still not registering the fact that only one is missing and yet he spent three and half days with Aaron during his heat. Instead, he fluffs the pillow under his head and tries to get some sleep. He’ll have to deal with his problems tomorrow, when everyone has had a chance to cool off and calm down.

*~~~*

Andy is the one to wake him in the morning, surprisingly being gentle when he shakes Robert’s shoulder. Robert sits up and groans, feeling ill and achy. He chalks it up to the stress of yesterday combined with the toll that his heat had on his body. That doesn’t stop him from having to rush to the toilet and vomiting into it.

Andy knocks on the threshold and leans on it, watching Robert heave into the toilet. “You alright?”

“Does it look like I’m alright?” Robert retorts, dry heaving once more. 

“Do you want some breakfast? Vic had to leave early but left us some in the fridge.” Andy pushes off the doorway and points in the direction of the kitchen. “Said it was pancakes.”

Robert sits up from his crouched position and rubs a hand down his face. “No.” He gets up and starts making his way to the front door, exiting the flat.

Andy follows him to his dismay. Robert just wants to be left alone. “Hey, wait up.” Robert stops, turns to his alpha brother. “Do you want me to talk to Chrissie?”

Robert shakes his head and feels his stomach flip again. “No, there’s no point. I blew it.”

Andy’s eyebrows furrow and Robert puts his hands on his hips, resisting the urge to place them on his aching stomach. “You going to just give up then? That’s not like you.”

Robert can’t help the tsk that escapes his mouth. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Andy.” He tries to smile at his brother but it’s weak. “Thanks for letting me stay.”

Andy places a hand on his shoulder and Robert sways, his head swimming. “Well you were there for me after Katie. It’s the least I can do.”

Once Andy’s gone, Robert leans back onto the fence post, resting his hands on his knees and trying to take deep breaths. Everything is spinning and he feels like he is going to be ill again. His hands shake where they are placed on his knees. He jumps when he feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up to see Victoria. “You okay?”

Robert swallows and forces himself to stand, heart pounding in his chest. The panic from yesterday is returning and it’s not helping him feel better. “Fine,” he says as he looks his younger sister in the eyes. He doesn’t want to lose her over this but he’s afraid he’s going to. Why would she want anything to do with him after she found out about him liking men? There’s worry in her eyes and Robert dreads when it will be replaced with disgust. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m a big boy. I can handle it.”

“You sure?” she asks and he nods. She smiles at him, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze, before turning back to Adam and walking away. Robert watches her and hopes it’s not the last time they will talk, just like with his dad when he couldn’t look at or hold a conversation with Robert for weeks after finding out. He can’t go through that again.

In the end, Robert goes back inside the flat, deciding he’s feeling too sick to do anything else. He sits down on the sofa and contemplates what to do next. Aaron will probably tell the rest of the village if Chrissie doesn’t get to it first. He feels even more sick with just the thought alone.

He’s only sitting there for about ten minutes before Diane makes an appearance, walking into the flat as if she owns it. She skips the pleasantries and cuts to the chase. “Victoria told me about you and Chrissie. What on Earth is going on?”

Robert rubs a hand down his face, internally groaning. Why can’t people just leave him alone? “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You’d rather sit here and brood instead?” Robert bites his tongue, trying to ignore the condescending tone Diane has. She sits down in the chair, clasping her hands together. Her bracelets jingle in the quietness of the room and Robert keeps his eyes trained on the floor. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I’ll understand.”

Robert feels like crying because no, she won’t. After that day… after that day with his dad he’s never made it obvious to anyone that he is interested in men. He doesn’t even like the fact himself, wishes he wasn’t like this. So, of course, Diane wouldn’t understand. She was so close to his dad, agreed with him on so many things. She wouldn’t understand at all. She would have the same viewpoints as his dad, no doubt. Robert can’t tell her.

“My marriage is over, Diane,” he says, hoping she just leaves it at that.

Diane scrutinizes him, thinning her lips, before standing from the chair. “Okay, get your things. You’re coming home with me.” Robert tries to protest but Diane is insistent. “If you think for one minute I’m leaving you on your own, then you’re wrong. Look at ya. I mean it Robert, I want you where I can see ya.” She says it as if she thinks Robert is going to hurt himself and, well, Robert hasn’t had those kinds of thoughts in a long time. Not since his mum died and dad found him on that rock ledge after Robert found out Andy was the cause. He opens his mouth to tell her no but Diane cuts him off. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Robert still wants to protest but Diane is an alpha and if anything has been proven these last few days, it’s that Robert is currently having a hard time  _ not _ listening to alphas. So he grabs his jacket that is situated next to him and pulls it on. His stomach has settled for now, thank God, but now it clenches for an entirely different reason. Aaron lives at the pub. What is he going to do if Robert runs into him?

Walking into the pub with Diane and having that exact thing happen, causes more anger to flare in Robert’s chest than he had been expecting. He glares at Aaron, deciding to not back down from this particular alpha at least because Aaron has officially ruined his life and Aaron doesn’t get to boss him around like some dominate alpha anymore. He refuses.

Diane asks Chas if she can do without her for a while and when Chas says she can, Diane escorts him to the back. She tells him to sit on the sofa as she makes them some tea but not long after they both start to hear shouting out in the pub. Recognizing the voice as Chrissie’s, Robert’s heart drops into his stomach like a lead ball. He quickly scrambles off the sofa to get out into the pub in order to try and calm her and stop her from telling everyone about him.

“Chrissie, Chrissie,” he says to get her attention and she turns to him with fire in her eyes. “Please don’t. We can talk in the back.”

She scowls, baring her teeth once more. “You’ve been having an affair with a man.” Robert can feel all the eyes in the pub turn to him. He flushes hot in embarrassment. “And you think I want to talk to you?”

“Is this true?” Diane asks from beside him.

Chrissie isn’t done though. “Why don’t you ask Aaron? He should know. They’ve been at it for months. Even shared a heat together.” Robert’s eyes dart to the floor and his stomach clenches in nausea.

“A heat!” Chas exclaims. “You promised it was over,” Robert hears Chas say.

Aaron’s eyes are burning a hole into the side of his face. “It is over.” His voice is laced with so much hatred, making Robert squirm. He feels terribly small with everyone’s eyes on him and feels almost relieved when Aaron turns and leaves, Paddy going after him. The feeling doesn’t last long, however, because now Diane is confronting Chas about knowing and it’s getting very hard to breathe.

“Since when were you gay?” Victoria’s voice cuts through the quiet of the pub.

“I’m not gay,” he defends because he’s not. He’s just not.

Paddy comes back and Kerry, who shouldn’t even be involved in this, inputs her own comment. “So what do you call this, confused or…?” Robert’s stomach clenches again.

“It was a stupid mistake,” Robert says, still not being able to meet anyone’s eyes. “It meant nothing.”

“Couldn’t help himself apparently,” Chrissie says. “Kept going back for more.”

And that's it. That's the end of Robert's world as he knows it. Now everyone is going to be disgusted and hate him and leave him and... Robert has to slap a hand over his mouth and run into the pub toilets to empty his stomach of its contents. Not that he has anything in it to spill.

There’s a knock on the door and Victoria’s voice comes through. “Rob? You alright?” He doesn’t answer her. Instead he sniffles and wipes his eyes. It feels like his whole world has fallen apart. “Rob? I really think you should talk to Chrissie.” A pause. “Rob?”

Robert slowly gets up and opens the door to the gent’s, Victoria standing right there. “Fine. I will.” He goes back to the pub and Chas tells him that Chrissie and Diane are already in the back. He doesn’t say thank you, doesn’t even acknowledge her. She’s just as much to blame as Aaron is. Chas is the one, along with Paddy, who turned Aaron against him.

Chrissie doesn’t waste time tearing into him with her words. “You were with him for months. Sneaking around behind my back. Encouraging me to go away with Lucky so you can be with him.”

Robert grows defensive, has to do anything to fix this. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Would you stop lying to me!” she yells, standing over him in all her alpha glory.

“I don’t understand,” Diane says from her place by the table. Robert wishes she would leave. “Aaron.”

He can hear Chrissie tsk at the mention of Aaron. “You loved him, didn’t you? You couldn’t help yourself.”

Robert forces himself to look at her despite everything in his body telling him to submit. “No, I love you. Aaron was nothing.”

“People always told me what you were capable of but I continued to believe in you.” Chrissie shakes her head, walks around him. “You probably think I’m pretty stupid, don’t you?”

“No.” He stands. “No and we can make it right if we both want to.”

“You had an affair with a  _ man _ .” The emphasis that Chrissie puts on the gender of the person he had the affair with hurts more than he would like to admit. He knew this would happen. He knew people would be disgusted with him if they knew the truth. “H-How do we ever make that right?” He opens his mouth to retort, to beg, to say something, anything, but she silences him with a soft, pain filled laugh. “It’s over. There is no going back from this.” She takes her wedding ring and engagement ring off and throws it across the room, stomping back out into the pub.

Diane is looking at him, shaking her head. Robert looks back, begging inside for her not to shun him. “I think it’s probably best if you leave, Pet.”

“What?” His heart constricts painfully.

“You need to leave.”

Again, he opens his mouth to say something, feeling the tears pool in his eyes, but this time instead of getting cut off, no words come. He turns and leaves, going out the back door. He has to lean against the wall for a few minutes to get his breathing under control and to try and ease his stomach. It’s doing panicked flips and he’s starting to feel lightheaded again.

Suddenly, a thought pops into his head, or more like  _ someone _ . He has to talk to Andy before he hears it from anyone else. Quickly, he goes back to Victoria’s and finds Andy in the kitchen, just having finished putting the kettle on. “Oh good timing. I was just brewing up. Grabbed some sandwiches in the cafe as well.” Robert doesn’t say anything and Andy can surely see how disheveled he looks. “I take it you’ve been to see Chrissie then.”

Robert sighs. “Oh no, she found me. Stormed into the pub, guns blazing.” He shakes his head. “I tried to stop her but Aaron was there.”

“Aaron?”

Robert sits down in the chair, taking a deep breath, readying himself to confess to his brother. “You weren’t meant to find out about this,” he says because it’s true. No one was. He worked so hard to hide it after what dad did to him and now… “Andy please, when I tell ya, please don’t hate me.” He can’t handle Andy hating him again, like dad, always like dad. “The reason Chrissie’s kicked me out… is because she found out… I’ve been seeing Aaron behind her back.” Andy’s brows furrow in confusion and Robert hurries to continue. “I know it’s a lot to take in but… it was a stupid mistake.”

“Katie was right all along,” Andy says, staring off to the side. Robert’s heart drops. “You were having an affair. You twisted everything and made me feel like she was trying to ruin your life. All so you can keep a secret. Why?”

Because of dad, Robert wants to say but he bites his tongue. Andy wouldn’t believe him even if he did say it. Instead he says, “I don’t know, she wouldn’t shut up about it. I had to do something.”

Andy’s eyes are filling with tears. “Like set fire to the caravan? She was right about that, wasn’t she?” Robert shakes his head, denies it. “Because of you, I spent our last days angry with her. I’ll never get that time back with her again.” Robert can smell the anger coming from the alpha in the air. “You took that from me. You watched me grieve and talked me down from trying to kill myself. Not because you were scared but because you were guilty.”

“And I hate myself for that, Andy, but nothing will bring her back,” he says.

He really shouldn’t have been so surprised when Andy lunges at him, grabbing at his jacket and pulling him up. For a split second, Robert thinks Andy is going to rip his throat apart with his teeth. Instead, Andy pushes him until he’s at the door and shoves him outside onto the ground, forcing him to submit to the alpha. They both don’t say anything, Robert with his back to Andy and on his knees in a submissive stance, and Andy glaring into his back.

Robert flinches when he hears the front door slam shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is when it starts to deviate from canon a bit more. I’ve added some scenes and taken out others.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

That night, Robert goes to the B&B and drinks himself into a miserable stupor with Val, the beta being able to drink him under the table. Robert would be impressed if he didn’t regret it immediately in the morning. Now he has a banging headache and his upset stomach has come back,  _ on top _ of the anxiety from yesterday. After taking a couple of pills of paracetamol, Robert sits at the kitchen table, holding his aching head in his hands.

Eric walks up to him, holding a plate full of food. “Breakfast?”

Robert groans and buries his face into his hands more, willing his stomach to stop churning. “No.”

“Coffee then,” Eric states without asking and walks away. Robert lets his head slump to the table and a moment later he’s awoken by Eric setting a mug down. Robert yawns as he sits up and gives his thanks to Eric for the coffee. The painkillers are starting to work now, thank God, but his stomach still feels tight with nausea. Robert sips at his coffee gingerly, trying to plan out how he is going to go about the day.

First, he needs to talk to either Diane or Vic, whichever comes first. He needs to explain himself to them. After he fixes things with them, he’ll need to talk to Andy… or maybe he’ll just go talk to Chrissie instead and let Andy continue cooling down for now. Quickly finishing his coffee and enjoying the effect the combination of painkillers and caffeine has on his headache, he decides that he needs to get out and get some air to clear his head. It might make him feel better too.

Val is standing in the doorway when he exits, drinking her own cup of tea. She says something about drowning their sorrows together more often but Robert pays it no attention. He’s too busy feeling miserable to care. Eric replies to whatever she said but by this point, Robert spots Diane walking by and he has to jump on the opportunity. Robert walks over to the curb, calling out to her.

“Diane!” The alpha stops and looks over, walking a little closer.

“Still here then?” Robert doesn’t have time to reply before Val is doing it for him. He listens silently as the two bicker back and forth and hopes that Diane will be a bit easier on him than she is being on Val. He can’t deny that it hurts when Diane mentions Andy wanting him gone and that, by the looks of things, she wants him gone too. He tries to not let it show on his face, what he is feeling, but he really can’t help the retort that he gives her. Not when Diane is supposed to care about him, not that that ever mattered anyway.

Val and Diane bicker more back and forth and Robert has to interrupt before Diane leaves because no matter how much he’s hurting right now by the rejection of someone who is supposed to love him, he can’t stand the thought of losing Diane for good. After all, though not perfect, Diane is the last mother figure he has in his life.

“Can… can we just talk, Diane? Please?” Val butts in once more and now Robert is just getting annoyed. He lets the fight finish and feels his heart sink when it looks like Diane is about to leave but then she surprises him by saying he’s got five minutes. He quickly follows her back to the Woolpack. They go into the back and Diane stands there, waiting for him to start.

“I’m sorry,” he says with his best kicked puppy look.

“For what?” Diane asks, crossing her arms.

_ For you now hating me. _ “For lying.”

Diane sighs and sits down at the table, gesturing to the sofa for Robert to sit as well. “Listen, Pet, I do think your cheating is shameful but you wanting to be with another man… there’s nothing shameful about that. I don’t understand why you felt like keeping it a secret.”

“Because I’m not gay,” Robert retorts, running a hand through his hair. “I’m not, Diane.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!” he snaps, not really meaning to. He takes a breath, calms down. “I love Chrissie.”

“As a wife?” Diane questions.

“Of course. I only want to be with Chrissie,” he tells her.

She looks doubtful but doesn’t say anything more about it. Instead, she asks, “How long?”

“What?”

“How long have you wanted to be with other men?”

Robert hesitates. He doesn’t want to tell her about what Dad did to him. Swallowing, he squirms in his seat and feels his stomach do a somersault. His headache is also coming back. “Years.”

“Did Jack know?”

_ Yes, and he hated me for it. _ “No. I hid it from him too.”

Diane nods minutely, staring at him. Finally, she stands, running her hands down the front of her jacket. “I have to get out to the bar.”

Robert gets up as well, frowning. “Please don’t hate me, Diane.”

Diane seems to relax and pulls him into a surprise hug. “Of course, not Pet.” She lets go. “Now go. I have work to do and I’m sure you do too.” Shucking off her jacket, Diane leaves him alone in the room.

Robert stands there and contemplates his options. Victoria might be in the kitchen and he might as well talk to her while he’s here. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to steady himself, he makes his way into the kitchen. As expected, Victoria is there but so is Adam. Robert rolls his eyes and takes Adam’s glare without backing down. He refuses to let any other alpha make him feel as small as Chrissie and Aaron has made him feel. Robert glares back until Adam says his goodbyes to Victoria and leaves them alone.

Victoria doesn’t say anything to him, instead deciding to continue on with food prep. “Listen, Vic…” Robert trails off, not knowing what to say.

Silence descends on them and it lasts for several seconds before Victoria is speaking. “I’m not angry with you, Robert.” She stops what she is doing and looks at him. “I guess I’m just more disappointed. Why couldn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know,” he admits to the omega. “I guess I was just… afraid.”

“Of what?”

“I don’t know,” he says.

“I wouldn’t have judged ya, you know?” She gives him a small smile and it comforts him somehow. “You’re my brother and I love you. No matter what.” He smiles back and bites his cheek to stop himself from tearing up. “C’mere.” Victoria drags him into a tight hug, holding him close. When they separate, she gives him a reassuring pat. “Go on, stop distracting me. Marlon will have my head if I don’t get this done in time.” Robert chuckles and kisses her on the cheek, saying goodbye.

In the end, Robert decides to forgo talking to Andy for now and instead goes straight to Chrissie. It’s about time he tried to fix things with her. He’s surprised when Chrissie actually lets him inside the house but is quickly disappointed when she tells him it was only for him to get his stuff. She walks out of the room to leave him to it, not even giving him a chance to properly talk to her.

Desperate, he follows her into the kitchen and she immediately becomes defensive. “I told you to get your stuff and leave.”

“Chrissie, I just want to talk.”

“Talk?” She grabs a bottle of Bordeaux wine that Robert had bought them to drink on their tenth anniversary. “Fine then. Tell me, Robert. Did you love Aaron?” She opens the bottle and dumps it down the drain, looking at him pointedly.

“No,” he answers even though his stomach tightens with the lie.

She scoffs. “Did you ever?”

“No.”

“So you threw our relationship away for nothing?” When all the wine is down the sink, Chrissie caps the bottle and turns around. She leans back on the counter, glaring at him. “Were there other men?” Robert can’t bring himself to answer that even though he knows his silence is an answer in itself. Chrissie’s face contorts into a pain-filled look, betrayal radiating from her eyes. 

Robert shakes his head, diverts his gaze. “But it won’t happen again, Chrissie. I just want you.”

Chrissie stares at him, on the verge of tears before she blinks them away and bares her teeth in anger and dominance. “I don’t want you, Robert,” she growls and Robert takes a hesitant step back. “Now leave your keys and leave.” That’s when Lawrence saunters in, staring at him in a way that Robert thinks is supposed to be threatening. It doesn’t come across as well from a beta as it would if Lawrence was an alpha but with Chrissie there, Robert doesn’t want to tell him off. “Don’t worry Dad, he was just leaving. He knows if he doesn’t or comes back, I’ll rip his fucking throat out… with my teeth.”

Robert swallows hard and rummages in his jacket pocket for the Home Farm keys. He places them on the counter as Lawrence mentions that Donald never filed the papers for him to be a director to the company. Robert wants to retort, especially since he’s always loved to dominate over the beta, but at the moment he just bites his tongue and turns to leave.

“Robert,” Chrissie calls after him and Robert stops. “Sign the divorce papers when I send them.” Robert looks back at her and her eyes are deadly. “Then walk away from all this or else I’ll make good on my promise. Don’t test me, Robert.” Robert bites his tongue harder and turns back around to leave. When he gets back into his car after cramming all his stuff into it, he immediately drives back to the Woolpack to talk to Diane.

By the time Robert gets there, his head is throbbing again and his stomach feels tight once more. He doesn’t expect Aaron to be sat at the table in the back room, though he shouldn’t be surprised since Aaron does live there. They make eye contact, Aaron chewing on his food, drink halfway to his mouth, while Robert shuffles there awkwardly.

He looks around the room. “Where’s Diane?”

Aaron finishes the sip he was about to take, looking away. “She’s not here so do one.”

Anger suddenly flares in Robert’s chest and he walks closer to Aaron, trying to remind himself that Aaron is an alpha and he’s just a puny omega. Still, that doesn’t stop him from lashing out. He never has been good at following his caste’s rules.

“I got out, you know,” he says, barely keeping his voice calm.

Aaron is better at him, acting as if he doesn’t care. “What are you on about?”

“At the lodge.” This seems to gain Aaron’s attention. The alpha’s eyes flicker to him briefly. “I got out of the restraints you put me in.” Robert takes another step closer, growl beginning to enter his voice. “You don’t leave an omega in heat alone like that, Aaron!” Aaron rolls his eyes and it just fuels Robert’s anger even more. “Anything could have happened to me. Anything.” Robert leans down onto the table, makes sure to get Aaron’s eye contact. “If something had happened to me,” he jabs a finger into Aaron’s chest, “that would have been on you. Do you understand? It would have been your fault.”

Aaron’s eyes widen and he sits up a bit straighter. “Nothing happened though?”

Robert scoffs and pushes off the table. “Nothing.”

Aaron visibly relaxes, shoulders drooping and eyes going to the floor. “You can go now.”

“No.” He sees Aaron swallow, watches as the alpha looks up at him. “You ruined everything.” Robert’s stomach flips and he has to take a deep breath before continuing. “Not only did you leave me to possibly be r-”

“Don’t.”

“But then you go and tell Chrissie about us?” Aaron isn’t looking at him again and it’s weird to Robert. He has never had an alpha be so… submissive to him before. “Do you think it’s some kind of justice for Katie’s accident?”

Aaron shakes his head and huffs. “Accident. Right.”

“It was,” Robert defends. He brings a hand up to his head to rub at his forehead, all this arguing making his headache worse. He’s becoming a bit dizzy now, too, which only makes his nausea even worse.

Aaron stands and he’s back to pretending, to hiding and acting macho and tough. He gets in Robert’s face but for a split second Aaron’s eyebrows furrow in confusion, the alpha taking a short, deep breath, as if sniffing him, before going back to uncaring. “You know what, Robert? I just want you gone and with Chrissie knowing the truth, you have no reason to hang around. So why don’t you just do everyone a favor and go.” He pushes past Robert, bumping into his shoulder.

Robert stumbles back, closing his eyes as the room spins, and catches himself on the sofa. He has to stand there for several seconds before he feels okay enough to stand up and walk back out to the bar. Aaron is still there, which surprises him. He would have thought the alpha would leave altogether. Robert would have preferred that. He’s feeling emotional, maybe even a little more than he should be considering Aaron’s words shouldn’t matter to him, but he feels hurt and lonely and lost nonetheless.

Robert, rationally, knows he should go back to the B&B and nurse his wounds but he wants to forget about everything that has happened the last couple days. So instead he walks up to the bar where Diane is currently pouring a pint. He deliberately avoids looking at Aaron which he finds is harder than expected. He feels almost drawn to the alpha though he doesn’t know why.

“When did you get in?” he asks her.

She finishes pouring and hands it off, receiving the money the customer gives her. “Just a minute ago, why?”

“I was looking for ya.”

“What for?”

“Doesn’t matter now,” he says and changes the topic, no longer wanting to talk about Chrissie at the moment. “Pint, please, Diane.”

Diane frowns at him, her eyes scoping out his face. “Are you sure? You don’t look well, Pet.”

There’s a hammer pounding in his head and a circus going on in his stomach, but he certainly doesn’t tell Diane that. “I’ll feel better after I’ve had a drink. What better way to cure a hangover than with more alcohol?” he jokes.

Diane’s frown deepens. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Robert slumps, all humor disappearing from his body. “Please, Diane, it’s been a rough day.”

Diane shakes her head in disapproval but grabs a glass anyway, pouring him a pint. When Robert has it in his hand, he turns around and sits down at the nearest table. Slowly, he takes a sip of his drink.

Robert’s stomach immediately feels sick and he has to put the glass down to take a couple of deep breaths to stop himself from throwing up. Robert rubs a hand down his face, trying to calm his stomach. Nothing works and the headache pounding in his head doesn’t help. With another deep breath, Robert pushes his glass to the side and folds his arms on the table, leaning down to rest his face inside the crook.

Robert isn’t really sure why he is feeling so sick. He never gets hungover this bad and when he does get a hangover, if it starts to go away throughout the day, it usually stays away and doesn’t come back. Maybe getting a pint wasn’t the greatest of ideas but the idea of getting drunk again was too much of an appeal for him. All he wanted to do was forget things for a little while but now he can’t even do that because he’s feeling too sick to do so.

He doesn’t know how long he stays like that, with his face hidden in his arms, but soon someone is placing a hand on his shoulder and speaking to him. “Rob? You alright?” It’s Victoria.

Robert can’t help the groan that escapes his lips. His stomach is really upset now and he’s afraid to move in fear of throwing up. “Hangover from Hell,” he answers quietly, half joking half not.

Victoria is rubbing his back now and he can hear the sympathy in her voice. “Maybe you should go home.”

He opens his mouth to retort that he doesn’t have a home anymore but his stomach does a double flip and he has to stand quickly, hand firmly against his mouth. Robert tries to push past his sister and get to the toilets as fast as possible, but he stumbles on a leg of the table he was sitting at and has to catch himself on it. By the time all of this happens, it’s too late to get to the toilets. Everything that was in his stomach — which wasn’t much — comes rushing up his throat. Luckily, someone, probably Victoria, quickly places a dustbin in front of his face for him to vomit into.

When he’s done heaving into the bin, he can feel the red hot heat of embarrassment crawling up his neck. Robert wipes a hand down his face, trying to hide his humiliation. When he turns around to face the crowd of the pub, he accidentally makes eye contact with Aaron.

His heart immediately jumps, something it’s always done when looking at Aaron, and speeds up in his chest. That is until he registers the look on Aaron’s face. He wasn’t quite expecting Aaron to look so smug at Robert’s misfortune, smirk firmly in place as if the alpha is most satisfied by Robert completely embarrassing himself in front of a crowded pub. As if he deserves this. Robert wonders if it’s an act or if Aaron truly feels like that.

Ignoring the rest of the stares he’s getting from people, he quickly looks away from Aaron, not wanting to see him looking at him like that anymore. Victoria still has a hand on his shoulder but she’s talking to Diane. “Diane, is it okay if I take him home?”

Diane nods from her place behind the bar. “Of course.”

Victoria nudges him. “C’mon.” They make their way out of the building and walk slowly to the B&B, Victoria checking in on him every once in a while. Now that Robert has thrown up, he’s starting to feel a little better and he tells her so but she still looks at him as if he’ll collapse at any moment.

Back at the B&B, Victoria deposits him onto the bed in his room, makes him some tea, and tells him she’ll be back later to see how he’s doing. He agrees reluctantly, mostly just glad to be back somewhere he can rest. He takes some more paracetamol and lies down on the bed to try and get some kip before facing the rest of the day.

*~~~*

When he wakes up, he’s feeling much better. It’s almost as if he hadn’t been feeling like absolute horse shit that morning. Deciding to take advantage of feeling good, he takes out his phone and calls up Donald. He learns some interesting things that make him smile bigger than he has at any point these past two days. Grabbing his keys, he leaves the B&B and drives straight to Home Farm.

There’s no one in the office when he enters which makes everything all the more sweeter. He can’t wait to see Chrissie and Lawrence’s faces when they walk in and see him sitting there. With a smirk on his lips, Robert pulls out his laptop and begins work. It doesn’t take long for Chrissie and Lawrence to make an appearance.

“What are you doing here?” Chrissie growls. Robert won’t back down to it this time though.

He smiles at the pair. “Forgot the spares.” He shrugs. “Sorry.”

Like the good beta he is — something Robert always enjoyed teasing him for — Lawrence approaches the phone with a threat on his lips. “Right, I’m calling the police.”

“Not an alpha so you don’t want to get your hands dirty as usual, Lawrence?” Robert sees Chrissie bristle in the corner of his eyes and Lawrence halts in his tracks.

“No, but I will,” Chrissie takes a step forward, teeth bared threateningly.

“Go ahead.” Chrissie hesitates. She’s not used to Robert talking back. An Omega would get slapped for it, if not worse. “I think you’ll find the law is on my side.” He leans back in the chair, refuses to submit. “You see, Lawrence was lying earlier. Donald did file the papers. I checked. Turns out, I’m a director here until I say otherwise.”

Chrissie is fuming, Robert can tell. He waits for the explosion. It’s always entertaining when an alpha’s emotions get away from them. Of course, usually when they aren’t directed at him but this time he’ll take his chances. “What do you think you’re going to accomplish, Robert? I’m never taking you back. You can’t fix this!”

Robert stands, takes a step towards Chrissie. “Well, as much as I love you, Chrissie, I’m not just going to roll over and submit like a good little omega and give up the company I helped build.”

Chrissie growls deep in her throat and grabs a hold of his shirt, baring her teeth even more towards him. “You stupid little-”

Lawrence steps in then, taking hold of Chrissie’s wrist and prying her hand off Robert’s shirt. “Easy, Chrissie.”

Chrissie lets him go and takes a step back. “Fine, I’ll take it back in a divorce then.”

“Which,” Robert starts. “You can’t file for another six months and I’ll fight it.”

“You really think you would win that?” Chrissie scowls. “You? A pathetic little omega? You know you won’t win it, Robert.”

“Maybe, but it sure would be satisfying to see you squirm and get angry.” She growls again, takes another step to him, but Lawrence puts an arm in front of her to stop her.

“You’re disgusting,” Chrissie says, still scowling.

Robert sits back down in his chair. “I’m not just going to walk away, Chrissie. I’m done playing the perfect submissive omega.”

With an annoyed huff, Chrissie turns and storms out of the room. Robert grins smugly after her and watches as Lawrence chases her. He decides to do a few hours of work before heading off back to the Woolpack to grab something to eat, feeling satisfied with himself.

Diane is behind the bar and Robert is glad to see Aaron nowhere in sight. “Feeling better are we?” Diane asks him as he places his order.

“Diane, my day has gotten significantly better.”

“I’m afraid to ask,” she says, before heading to the kitchen to give Victoria his order.

The other omega is the one who brings his food out to him. “I see you’re feeling better.” Victoria places the food in front of him. Robert is starving and the food smells amazing, even more so than usual.

“Wow, Vic, this looks amazing,” he compliments, digging right in.

Victoria chuckles. “Since when did you like my cooking so much?”

Robert shakes his head, swallows what’s in his mouth, and replies. “I’ve been craving this all day.”

“Even when you were puking your guts out in front of everyone?” Victoria teases.

Robert’s face turns hot and he takes a sip of his beer. “I told you, I was just hungover. Feeling right as rain now.”

“And you thought coming here and having a beer was a good idea?” Victoria shakes her head in amusement.

Robert chuckles. “It’s just a beer, Vic. It’s not hard liquor.” He takes another bite of his food. It doesn’t take him long to finish it as he chats with his sister. Swallowing the last bite, he gives Victoria his sweetest smile. “Do you think you could make me another?”

Victoria huffs, a smile playing at her lips. “Jeez, Rob, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were eating for two.”

Robert chokes on his beer and has to cough frantically. When he can breathe again, he scowls at his sister. “Don’t even joke about that, Vic.”

Victoria laughs all the way back into the kitchen and Robert watches her go, shaking his head in amusement and smiling fondly at his sister’s wild imagination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re getting closer to Robert finding out!! I’m excited!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long! Some things were happening in the family that were keeping me from writing.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Robert, for the next couple of days, works at Home Farm for a few hours before he has to go back to the B&B due to feeling too sick. If it’s not his stomach acting up, then it’s his head. He’s not entirely sure hat is wrong with him but chalks it up to either stress of he’s coming down with something. Robert suspects the former. After all, his life has been flipped upside down. Of course, his being ill has not escaped the notice of his sister. This morning, it’s his stomach.

Victoria frowns at him. “Why don’t you go back to the B&B, get some sleep, and I’ll bring by some soup later?”

Robert groans at the mention of food, his stomach twisting in disagreement. He rests his elbows on the bar and scrubs at this face with his hands vigorously. Victoria was kind enough - or took pity on him - to let him into the Woolpack before opening to try and get him to eat something. That plan had failed spectacularly. As soon as Robert had taken his first bit of eggs, he was running to the toilet to throw it up. Now the plate full of food sits off to the side next to him.

Robert grimaces at his sister. “I can’t. I have to get to work. Lachlan is back today and I would like to get to Home Farm before Chrissie can spew lies at him.”

Victoria is looking at him in disapproval. “What lies?”

Robert stands and pulls out a few quid to pay for the breakfast that he is abandoning. “She’s going to make me out as some kind of monster, Vic.”

“Because you cheated on her.” Victoria puts the money in the till. “You really can’t blame her for being angry, Robert.”

“That doesn’t mean she can slag me off to her teenage son. Who is my stepson remember,” Robert says, pulling his jacket on.

Victoria sighs in defeat. “I still think you should take it easy today. You really don’t look well.”

“Oh, thanks.” Robert gives Victoria an annoyed look but all he receives in return is a look of concern. He sighs reluctantly. “Look, Vic, I’ll take it extra easy today, okay? I’ll be back at the B&B as soon as I can.”

The omega doesn’t look convinced but she nods nonetheless. “Ring me later, okay? Or, better yet, if you’re feeling up for it, stop by for lunch and I’ll have soup waiting for ya.”

He nods and leans over the bar to give her cheek a quick kiss. “Okay. See ya.” Robert leaves the Woolpack then, getting into his car and driving straight to Home Farm.

Robert arrives at Home Farm just as Lachlan gets home. He approaches cautiously, not knowing if Chrissie has said anything to the young alpha yet. “Lachlan.”

Lachlan turns to him, a smile on his face. “Hey.”

Robert shoves his hands into his trouser pockets. “How was your holiday?”

Lachlan shrugs. “Good.” He looks awkwardly down at his feet and then towards the house. “Can I go in now?”

“Oh yeah, of course.” He gestures towards the house, letting the young lad go. So far so good. It doesn’t seem like Chrissie has told him anything. With a hand stroking over his aching stomach, Robert follows Lachlan into Home Farm.

Chrissie and Lawrence are excited when they see Lachlan and Chrissie hugs her son tightly. That is until he comes in. Chrissie and Lachlan separate, Chrissie shifting awkwardly. There’s no doubt in Robert’s mind now that Chrissie hasn’t said a word to Lachlan.

Robert puts on a charming smile. “We ran into each other as I was getting here.”

Chrissie shoots him a glare and Lawrence addresses Lachlan. “Let’s go take your bags up.”

“They should be fine for now,” Lachlan says.

Lawrence eyes both Chrissie and Robert. “No, let’s do it now.” They both leave the office, leaving Chrissie and Robert alone.

Chrissie crosses her arms, making her way further into the room. “I suppose it was too much to hope that you wouldn’t show up today.”

Robert goes to his desk and sits down. “I’ll stop coming when I’m paid what I’m due,” he says, not really being able to help but be snarky. “Besides, I reckon Lachlan and I have a lot of catching up to do.”

Chrissie points a finger at him, growl coming from deep within her throat. “No, I’m going to talk to him alone.”

“Yeah, and I can probably guess what you’re going to say to him,” he says.

Chrissie huffs. “Well, I’m not going to lie. Now, Robert, you can continue sitting there and watch as I give my son every dirty detail of what you did and who you really are but I suggest, if you want to keep whatever dignity you have left, you leave.”

Robert is tempted to stay, to hear what Chrissie tells Lachlan and to have the chance to defend himself, but his stomach is still rolling with nausea and this is Chrissie giving him an out. He stands, pretending to look annoyed. “Fine, I’ll leave you to it.” He can’t help getting one more dig in before he goes though. “Have fun slagging me off.” With that, he leaves with a scowl on his face, one that he immediately drops once no one is around he has to pretend in front of. When he gets back in his car, Robert leans his head back, closes his eyes, and really hopes the drive doesn’t upset his stomach more.

Back at the B&B, Robert takes a quick shower, makes himself a hot cup of tea, and then lies down to get some rest. The next thing he knows, there is someone banging on his room door. With a tired groan, Robert gets out of bed, pulls on a dressing gown, and answers it.

It’s Victoria, who then barges in past him, holding a food container. “I told you to stop by the Woolpack for lunch,” she chastises.

Robert rolls his eyes and shuts the door, following her. “I fell asleep.”

Victoria places the food container down on the desk that is located in the room. “I brought you some soup.”

“What kind?” he questions as his sister opens it.

“Chicken noodle.”

Robert scrunches his face as the smell of the food hits him, his stomach automatically tightening. “Ugh.”

Victoria raises an eyebrow at him. “You like chicken noodle.”

Robert places a hand over his nose. “Not today.” Victoria is frowning at him. “What?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” She asks.

Robert nods, sighing heavily. “I’m fine Vic, I promise. It’s just stress. I’m sure of it.”

Victoria still doesn’t look convinced but nods anyway, dropping the matter. At least for now. “Well, you need to eat something and this is all I brought, so you’re going to have to deal.” She holds out a spoon towards him. “C’mon, eat up.”

Robert grimaces but takes the spoon and then the container of soup. “Yeah, yeah.” Robert sits down on the edge of the bed and eats a spoonful of the soup. His face scrunches. “This is disgusting.”

“Oh, thanks!” Victoria hits him on the arm. The omega’s smile quickly falls as she watches him pick at his food. “Are you  _ really _ sure you’re okay?”

He sighs heavily and places the container off to the side. He rubs at his squeamish stomach. “I don’t know, Vic. It’s got to be the stress, right?”

Victoria shrugs. “Or, you’re coming down with something.”

“But it’s only my stomach that has been bad. Even my headache has gone away,” he says.

“Well, maybe you’ve got a stomach bug or somethin’?” Victoria suggests.

Robert takes a deep breath and picks up the soup. “Yeah, maybe.” He scowls down at the food. “It’s not even like my stomach is that upset right now. It’s just that…” He takes a breath and the smell of the food hits him like a brick wall, turning his stomach. He quickly shoves the food away, pinching his nose. “Ugh, I take it back. Get that away from me.”

Victoria looks at him, all worried as she places the cover back onto the container. “Maybe you should see a doctor.”

Robert scoffs. “Don’t be daft, Vic. That’s not necessary.” He shrugs. “Besides, I do have good days.”

Victoria tilts her head and thins her lips. “Are you sure?”

Robert rolls his eyes and stands up. “Stop asking me that.”

Victoria stands up as well, hitting his shoulder. “Alright, you’re coming with me to the Woolpack.”

“What?”

“Well, you need to eat  _ something _ .” Victoria links her arm with Robert’s. “I’m not letting my big brother starve.”

“Vic, I’m not really keen on eating right now,” he says as she drags him over to his clothes.

She bends to pick them up. “No complaining, Robert Sugden. You need sustenance. I’ll cook something that is easy on the stomach.” Victoria shoves the clothes into his arms and makes her way to the door.

“Wasn’t that what the soup was?”

She shrugs. “I’ll try something else.”

“Vic!” he calls as she shuts the door. With a sigh, he gets dressed, rubs a hand over his stomach, and then meets Victoria outside the B&B. The fresh air immediately makes him feel a little better. With a forced smile towards Vic, he follows her to the Woolpack, arm in arm.

When they get into the pub, the first thing Robert notices is Aaron sitting in a booth in the corner with Adam. “You didn’t tell me Aaron was here,” he whispers to Victoria.

Victoria shrugs and glances over to the booth. “He wasn’t when I went to see ya.” She nudges him. “C’mon, you go sit by the bar and I’ll make ya somethin’”

He quickly looks back to the table at Aaron and briefly catches his eye before they both look away. Doing as he’s told, he goes to the bar where Diane is. She eyes him. “Late lunch or early finish?”

Robert slides onto one of the stools. “Early finish. Done ages ago, actually. Though I’m sure they’d prefer it if I was celebrating my resignation.”

“I think they’d prefer it if you were having a fatal heart attack,” Diane says as she pours him a pint.

He furrows his brows. “Aren’t you meant to be family?”

“Aren’t you meant to be theirs?” She says just as Andy walks out from the back. “Or his come to that.” Robert sighs as Andy asks Diane for a drink and walks by without saying a word to him. Diane leaves him to it and Robert squirms in his seat as he tries to ignore both Aaron and Andy.

He’s starting to wonder what is taking Victoria so long when Aaron saunters up next to him. “Another pint please, Diane, and one for Adam.” Robert sips at his own pint, trying to avoid Aaron’s gaze as the alpha turns his head to look at him quizzically, eyebrows furrowed. “You alright?”

Robert stops mid-sip, turning to Aaron in confusion. “What?”

Aaron shrugs. “Only you smell weird. Have been for a while.”

Victoria decides that’s the perfect time to come out from the back. “Has he?” She leans over the bar as she sets the plate full of food down, sniffing him. She frowns, shaking her head. “Huh, just smells like Robert.” She looks to Aaron. “You sure your nose is working right?”

Robert ignores his sister and faces Aaron, who is glaring good-naturedly at Victoria. “Do you even care?”

Aaron stares at him, shaking his head minutely, eyes narrowed in anger. “You know what, Robert? Forget it.” He walks away, taking the two pints back to his booth with Adam.

Victoria is shaking her head at him. “You could be a little nicer.”

He scowls. “Why should I?” Victoria huffs in annoyance, shaking her head more in disbelief, and turns to walk away. Robert looks down at his plate. She made him eggs with toast and a banana on the side. Confused, he looks back up at his retreating sister’s back. “Vic, what is this?” She ignores him and disappears into the back.

With a heavy sigh, Robert starts eating the food, picking at it with disinterest. His back prickles with the sensation of Aaron’s eyes on him and it makes him squirm. He’s not sure what Aaron was talking about when he mentioned he smells different. Though, if Victoria can’t smell whatever Aaron was talking about, it must be nothing. Robert twists around slightly to look back at Aaron, catching his eyes. Aaron looks away immediately. Turning back around, he continues to poke at his eggs.

“You’ve hardly eaten anything,” Victoria says when she next appears in front of him.

He shrugs. “I’m just not really interested in it.”

She picks up the plate to bring it back to the kitchen. “Your stomach still upset?”

Robert shakes his head. “Not really. I just don’t want,” he gestures towards the food, “eggs.” He grimaces. “Why this anyway?”

“They’re easy on the stomach,” Victoria says, looking annoyed. “What do you want then?”

He thinks about it, giving it real thought. “Ice cream.”

“Ice cream?”

The more Robert thinks about it, the more enthusiastic he gets. “Yeah! Maybe a sundae.” He stands, smiling at his sister. “With chocolate ice cream, not vanilla.”

Victoria chuckles. “Okay, okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

He gives Victoria a charming smile. “Cheers, Vic.” Victoria rolls her eyes at him and laughs as she leaves.

*~~~*

The next few days are terrible. Lawrence tries to pay him off… twice, threatening to lower the payoff price each time he offers. Robert, of course, turns him down the two times and accuses the beta of being jealous of the fact that Robert didn’t go after him. Lachlan overhears them and forces Robert out of Home Farm and then later texts him to meet up, to only threaten Robert to stay away.

Robert really should have known better when Lachlan dropped Lawrence’s heart medicine bottle but like an idiot, he picked it up which bites him in the arse later. He ends up getting arrested for tampering with Lawrence’s medication, which he didn’t but it doesn’t stop him from having to spend a miserable night in prison with an upset stomach but hungry at the same time. Luckily the police had no evidence and let him go. Then, upon arrival to Home Farm to find out what exactly happened, he learns it was Lachlan who changed the pills in the bottle. Taking advantage of this, he tells Chrissie that he won’t tell the police if she gives him half the value of the company.

He didn’t think it could get much worse but, of course, it does. His terrible days turn into a complete nightmare when Chrissie comes by the portacabin to give him paperwork to sign and a check with a significant amount of money written on it. He turns her down because he doesn’t trust her, they get into a row, and she, to his absolute horror, burns his car. Then that nightmare turns into complete hell when a gas tank explodes and a helicopter crashes down into the village.

Robert’s stomach drops and churns as he watches the scene play out in front of him in horrified awe. Chrissie becomes hysterical next to him, apologizing over and over again. That’s when they hear it. Looking around, Robert spots Adam trapped in a car that is being engulfed in flames. Chrissie pushes him, screaming at him to do something and Robert snaps out of his frozen shock.

Grabbing a pole, Robert quickly goes to the car and smashes the passenger side window out, reaching for Adam to pull him out. He tries to ignore the familiar feeling of panic at the sight of the fire and the feel of the heat on his skin as he and Adam hobble away from the car just in time for it to explode. He, Adam, and Chrissie fall to the ground by the force and Robert feels his stomach twist in fear, memories from the past flashing in front of his eyes.

Scrambling up, Robert ignores the memories and guides the two alphas to Chrissie’s nearby car. He shoves Adam into the back and orders Chrissie to drive him to the hospital. Once she leaves, he looks towards the village, feels his stomach tighten painfully again, and starts sprinting towards it.

When he gets there, he sees Aaron helping Victoria up from the ground. He calls out to her, relief flooding his chest that she is okay. “Vic!”

“Robert!” She stumbles to him and pulls him into a tight hug.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he says in a relieved sigh and then pushes away. “Where’s Diane and Andy?”

Victoria tells him that Andy went back inside the church and that she doesn’t know where Diane is. Aaron says he’s sure Diane wasn’t there and Robert allows another rush of relief course through him before he explains about the fire at the scrapyard and Adam. He’s barely got the words out before Aaron is running back into the building.

“Aaron!” he calls after and takes a step after him but Victoria stops him with a firm grip on his arm.

“Robert don’t!” She sounds panicked. “It’s going to collapse!”

He twists to her, pulling at his arm to try and free it from her grasp. “We can’t just let him go back in there!”

“Robert please,” Victoria’s eyes are shiny with unshed tears. “Don’t make me worry about you too.”

Robert nods quickly, pulling her back into a comforting embrace. They stand there for a long time, Aaron eventually coming back out with others in tow. Robert’s heart is beating a mile a minute and he can’t look at the building for long. Not with the flames flickering from the helicopter, threatening to engulf the entire building. He’s shaking in fear and his stomach is twisting and turning. He bends over and places a stabilizing hand on his knee, taking deep breaths.

“Robert?” Victoria asks in concern.

Robert waves her away. “I’m fine.” He can hear sirens in the distance and stands straighter. “Come on, we have to get you to the hospital.”

“What about Andy and Diane?” Victoria asks as Robert guides her slowly to the approaching ambulances.

“They’ll be fine. Come on.” Victoria doesn’t protest after that, climbing into the ambulance and allowing Robert to sit next to her.

The nurses and doctors take Victoria in right away when they get to the hospital and one of the nurses escorts him to a waiting room. Robert stops in his tracks, however, when he sees the Dingle clan waiting there as well. He and Aaron make eye contact immediately and Robert quickly diverts his gaze to the floor, sitting down in one of the chairs heavily. He pulls out his phone and texts Andy where they are.

It’s only a few minutes later when Robert hears his name. “Robert!” Robert looks up to see Andy approaching. “How’s Vic?”

Robert stands, feels his head swim with lightheadedness, and tries to swallow the sudden rush of nausea away. “They’re still looking her over.” He can feel Aaron’s eyes on his back.

“Was she badly hurt?”

“I don’t think so.” Robert looks around behind Andy. “Where’s Diane?”

“Rob…” Robert’s heart sinks to his stomach. “Something’s bad has happened.” Robert hears the Dingles behind him shift to attention and Robert prepares himself to hear that another mother figure has died. Andy must see it on his face because he rushes to say, “It’s not Diane. She’s fine.”

Robert sinks to the chair and covers his face with his hands. This is all too much. Rubbing at his eyes, he looks up at Andy. “Then what happened?”

“It’s Val.” Andy sits in the chair next to him. “She’s dead.”

Robert stares at his brother in disbelief. “How?” Andy explains it all to him, the Dingles sprinkling in a few questions here and there. Aaron stays silent, eyes ever trained on Robert. Robert continues to ignore him. “How’s Diane handling it?”

Andy shakes his head. “Not good as you can imagine. Doctors are checking her over now though. I was going to go back and wait for her but wanted to check on Vic first.”

“Robert?” Robert looks up at the sound of Aaron’s voice. It’s the first time the alpha has spoken since Robert arrived. “You said there was a fire at the scrapyard.”

“What?” Chas exclaims.

Aaron ignores her. “Was that what caused the helicopter to crash?” Robert stares at him, not knowing how to answer such a question. Aaron’s eyes narrow in accusation and Robert swallows hard. “How’d that fire start, Robert?”

Before Robert can answer, Victoria is walking into the waiting room. Andy is up immediately, hugging her close and Robert stands as well. He quickly learns that is a mistake as the room starts to spin and bile threatens to come up his throat. Robert stumbles in his place.

“Robert!” Victoria grabs for him at the same time Andy does, supporting him with each holding his arms. “Robert?”

Robert doesn’t even notice Aaron’s hands on his back until a sharp pain shoots through his stomach and he has to double over, shrugging Aaron’s hands off without knowing it, and scrambling for the bin that is next to his chair. He throws up in it, the breakfast that he had managed to eat a few hours ago emptying from his stomach. Someone is rubbing a hand up and down his back and when he looks, it’s Victoria who is watching him in worry.

“I need to sit down,” he says quietly, reaching out for the chair. Andy helps him into it and Victoria kneels down in front of him.

The omega stares at him for a few seconds before shaking her head. “Okay, that’s it, Robert. You’re going to see a doctor.”

“Vic…”

“No,” she reprimands. “You haven’t been feeling well for days now and this whole mess, breathing in all that smoke, it can’t be good for whatever is going on with you.”

“Victoria’s right, Rob,” Andy says. Robert looks over to his brother and doesn’t expect to see Aaron standing next to him with his eyebrows furrowed. Robert doesn’t know if it’s in confusion or concern. Maybe both.

“I’ll be fine in a minute.”

Victoria shakes her head at him. “No. We’re here. You’re getting looked at.”

“I’ll get a nurse,” Andy says before disappearing.

Robert locks eyes with Aaron and they stare at one another for a few seconds before Aaron turns and walks back to sit next to his mum. He grows hot with eyes of the Dingles on him. Cain scoffs and rolls his eyes. Robert is sure the alpha has a retort on the tip of his tongue. He’s surprised Cain can resist the urge to say it.

Looking away and back to Victoria, Robert nods minutely. “Okay. Fine.”

A nurse comes by with a wheelchair and Andy helps him into it. He’s being wheeled away when another nurse comes out to update the Dingles on Debbie’s condition. Once in a room, the doctor asks him all sorts of questions, checks him over thoroughly and then asks him what his symptoms have been. Robert tells the doctor and she looks at him quizzically.

She then asks him a question he hadn’t been expecting. “Have you shared a heat with anyone recently?”

Confused, Robert shrugs. “Yeah, but I used birth-” he cuts himself off, suddenly remembering the birth control packet and how there had been only one pill missing. He and Aaron had shared four days together. That means three of those days he could have…

Shit!

The doctor is smiling at Robert and Robert feels like he’s going to be sick again. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll take a blood sample and test it to see if you’re pregnant. I’m assuming you haven’t taken a pregnancy test yet?” Robert shakes his head. “How long ago was your heat?”

Robert answers as if in a trance. “About two weeks.”

The doctor nods. “A pregnancy test wouldn’t be able to detect whether you are pregnant quite yet but a blood test will.”

Robert nods. “Okay.”

The doctor takes his blood, tells him they’ll have the results in a couple of days, and then sends him away with a good bill of health. Robert walks back out to the waiting room in shock where Victoria is waiting. The Dingles, including Aaron, and Andy are all gone. Victoria comes up to him. “And?”

He looks at his sister, feeling his heart begin to race in his chest. “They’ll let me know,” he says, skirting around telling her the truth. She gives him a sympathetic smile and hugs him, holding on gently. Robert wraps his arms around his sister carefully in return.

Pregnant. He might be pregnant. This can’t be happening. There’s no way this is happening. There is no way he is pregnant.

Pregnant…

With Aaron’s baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited to keep going with this now that Robert is about to find out!! :D
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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